Francisca Ordega is one of standard bearers of Nigerian women’s football

The talented striker has played club football on four different continents

Participation in U-17 and U-20 World Cups put her on the road to stardom

As a youngster, Francisca Ordega, or ‘Franny’ as she is known, was in no doubt about what she wanted to do in life – and it had nothing to do with football. “I wanted to be an actress,” she told FIFA.com with a laugh.

Back then the young Nigerian played football with her brothers and friends just for fun, and it remained that way until she was selected to be a ball-girl for an international involving the national U-19 women’s team. “As I watched them play and saw how the crowd cheered them on, I got very excited and thought, ‘I want to do that too – have the crowd watch me and then thrill them'. It was simply amazing.”Ordega, in brief

Striker, 24 years old. Currently plays for Atletico Madrid, on loan from Washington Spirit

Born in Gboko, Nigeria, she is one of 12 siblings

Her two main assets are her power and speed

She has been a Nigeria international since U-17 level

After deciding to pursue a career in football, Franny knew only two things for certain: that the road ahead would be a long and difficult one; and that getting her mother’s approval would be no easy thing.
“In Africa, the footballing infrastructure is not like in Europe, where you have all these age categories. Back home, you need to have talent and really push yourself. When I decided to become a footballer, I said to myself: ‘If you want to make it, you need to work hard. You need to train, watch the pros play, study how they move, how they control the ball…’”
And if that challenge were not enough, there was also her mother’s opposition to overcome. “She didn’t want me playing football in case it interfered with my studies.” Nor was the environment she found herself in very conducive to her career choice.
“It is hard. Families didn’t support girls if they opted for this, nor did their friends and those around them… But things are different now. These days a lot of parents want their daughters to play. I think our generation has inspired a lot of people to follow suit, and, what with social media and all that, we’re everywhere. Girls tell you ‘I want to be like you when I grow up’, and I encourage them.”

She's a fan of English football: Ordega grew up watching the Premier League along with her older brother. Their earliest idols were Thierry Henry –“from the very first time I saw him” – and Fernando Torres –“I shed a tear when I finally met him after joining Atleti”.

Globetrotter: Since 2012, the striker has played in Russia, Sweden, the USA, Australia and Spain. “Sometimes I can hardly believe it myself. I’ve learned so much from all the different coaches and players, and from the distinct cultures and countries. That has also helped me grow as a person."